Beautiful Addiction
by TheRealRenee
Summary: // Chapter 19 now up \\ Things spiral out of control after Matt Hardy posts an inappropriate blog about two people. Based on Hardy's March 13, 2008 MySpace blog. Ashley/Jeff, Matt, others
1. Chapter 1

Ashley Massaro swore softly to herself as she tried to maneuver the mouse. It certainly was no easy task, and she knew she would never get used to it. She was a righty, damn it, not a lefty.

Moving slowly, the blonde finally positioned the pointer to the exact link she'd been attempting to click. Ah, it worked! She was now on her MySpace page.

She smiled as she checked some messages her friends and fans had left for her. Of particular interest, she noted that Kyle, a super sweet young man who ran a popular fansite for her, had left her an email.

Ashley felt a sense of dread as she took a quick glance down at her hands. Her left was perfectly fine and normal. Her right was covered by a pink cast to support the wrist she had fractured on the night of her big comeback on RAW. It had been just her bum luck that she'd somehow landed wrong as she'd delivered that Starstruck to Jillian.

Reading Kyle's message had her smiling from ear-to-ear - until she was nearly at the end of it. He'd included something he thought she should see, a blog written earlier that day by an ex-boyfriend of hers, Matt Hardy.

It was short, very cryptic, and it caused the blonde's jaw to drop.

"What the hell...?" Ashley grew angry at what she read. Matt hadn't actually named names - that was the whole point of his 'cryptic' blogs - but judging by what he'd said about the two people he was talking about, it was obvious who they were.

He was talking about his own brother, Jeff, and herself!

She sat there and re-read the blog. As she absorbed each word, the vague comments, she literally started to shake with anger. What the hell was his problem? For the most part, even after their breakup, Matt had been quite cordial. He hadn't even given her any problems after she'd started dating Paul London two months later. But what in hell was _this_?

Ashley scowled and clicked a link, clumsily typing a quick reply, thanking her friend for the heads-up. When she was done with that, she posted her own new blog entitled, _"Don't believe everything you hear."_

After that was taken care of, the blonde sat there seething in silence. The line _"they're both playing around in the deep water and can't swim. I can swim,"_ really bothered her in particular and stuck out in her mind. Matt applying that phrase to Jeff made sense, but to _her_? What was he implying?

She let out a furious snarl and jumped up from the computer chair. The truth was, she couldn't remember the last time she'd been so mad. Fuck this... She had been in a perfectly good mood until reading that blog. Maybe she would pick up the phone and call Matt to give him a piece of her mind.

Ashley marched over to the phone across the room and snatched up the receiver. However, as she started dialing, it wasn't her ex-boyfriend's number she punched in.

"Hello?" a southern accent spoke from the other end.

"Hi, Jeff... It's Ashley."

She heard the younger Hardy brother make a small sigh before he replied.

"Oh... Hi, Ashley. What's up?"

"I just wanted to..." She paused, knowing she should say something nice to him before letting him know about the blog. The last thing he needed right now was aggravation. He already had a lot of shit going on, what with the suspension and all the rumors circulating the internet about him. "... How are you?"

"I'm okay," he said, then sighed again. "Actually, that was a lie... Life really sucks at the moment."

Ashley felt a twinge of sympathy and winced. She felt for the young man. He'd been on top of the world one minute, and then in the next, it had all been yanked from him like a rug being pulled from under his feet. She bit her doubly-pierced lip.

"I'm sorry, Jeff." Jeez, how was she going to tell him what Matt had done? It would only add to his misery. But he had a right to know. A sudden thought struck her. "Hey... Would you like some company? I'm stuck home with my broken wrist, but I'll swing by if it's okay with you." She fully expected the man to turn down the request, but then again, Jeff Hardy was full of surprises.

"Sure... Why not?" he said. "I think I'd like some company."

"Great." Ashley felt herself smiling in spite of the situation.

They hung up shortly after, and she soon left, her purse slung over her shoulder. Fortunately, it was only a fifteen minute drive. Since she and Paul had broken up little more than a month earlier, she'd moved back to North Carolina.

She parked her car in front of the driveway and exited, heading up the walk and to the door. As she rang the bell, she couldnt' help but wonder about how the young man was going to take the news.

She heard barking, and a moment later, the door was opened and Jeff peered out at her.

"Hi," he said softly, gesturing for her to come inside.

Ashley entered the house and felt worry course through her. The man's face seemed drawn, ashen, and his green eyes definitely lacked their usual spark. Then again...

"Well, hello there!" she quipped as she bent down to greet his dog, a Jack Russell terrier aptly named Jack. The little dog jumped up just a bit, his tail happily wagging.

"You want somethin' to drink?" Jeff asked. He gestured to her to follow him, and they went into the living room.

"Um... A glass of water would be fine," the blonde replied.

"Sure thing."

Ashley seated herself on the sofa as he disappeared into the kitchen. She folded her hands in her lap and was able to hear the sound of water running. A moment later, the rainbow-haired man returned with a glass and handed it to her.

"Thank you." She took a long, deep swallow of the ice water and met his green eyes, which seemed to be watching her so intently, she actually thought she could read suspicion in them.

Then, almost as though on cue with her thoughts, Jeff spoke.

"Okay, it's not every day one of my brother's ex-girlfriends wants to pay me a visit... What's all this about, Ashley?"

She winced, and she wasn't sure if it was because of the reason she was here or his question. She sighed and eyed him squarely.

"Jeff, have you been online at all yet today?"

"Nah, I'm really not in the mood to read all that stuff about me on IWC sites," he said.

The pretty blonde diva bit her lip.

"Well, there's something I think you need to see," she said. "And it's not on one of those sites. Go on your brother's MySpace and read his new blog.

This caused the young man to raise an eyebrow in question.

"Matt?" He couldn't imagine what his older brother could have posted that was so important that Ashley deemed it necessary to come by. However, he intended to find out, anyway.

He rose from the chair in which he'd been sitting and made his way to the computer situated on a small table in a corner of the room. In moments, he logged onto MySpace and read the blog in question. And he felt his ire rise.

"What's the meaning of this?" he asked, shaking his head. He turned to see Ashley standing directly at his right side, and she squarely met his eyes as she spoke.

"Your brother is at it again... It's _us_ he's talking about in that blog."


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N: Thanks a million to HardyFan, xAttitudex, Cheryl and rory21 for being the first reviewers of this story. You guys are awesome! :) I've got a load of chapters of this story sitting in notepads, waiting to be added, and I hope you'll enjoy them and all continue to read and review! Onward now for Chapter 2..._**

He sat there with both hands clenched into fists, his thoughts bitter. Try as he might, he couldn't stop thinking about it. And it tore at him that he couldn't come up with any positive reason he would have said all that he'd said. There was just nothing of which he could conceive.

Jeff Hardy shook his head and finally stood up. He couldn't rid his mind of Matt's blog. It was bothering him so much, and he had read it so many times throughout the day that he actually remembered it by heart. How the hell could Matt say all that about him? Did he really have so little - if any - respect for him that he would post a blog for all the world to read? And what about Ashley? Jeff knew the two of them were history now, but his brother had professed to caring about the blonde.

He approached the couch and sat down uneasily. He couldn't keep his gaze from drifting to the phone that sat on the small end table at its right side.

He was all alone once again except for little Jack. Ashley had stayed over a few hours after showing him the blog. She'd tried to change the subject for awhile, and they'd actually gotten to know a bit more about each other. Around six, she had suggested they go out and have some dinner, maybe at _Cracker Barrell_, but he'd declined.

Jeff sighed, thinking that maybe he'd made a mistake. Had he gone out to eat with Ashley rather than staying home and stewing, he probably would have had a pretty decent time.

He reached his right hand over toward the phone, the tips of his fingers just brushing against the receiver. How could Matt do that to him? He kept wondering about it. He knew all about the last time his brother had posted people's private life all over the internet, but that had been over a broken heart and a feeling of being betrayed by a close friend. Jeff knew Matt had handled things badly in that instance, and he'd done the same this time as well... But the thing that really got him in the gut was that he hadn't broken his heart, nor had he betrayed him. Why the hell had he gone and done this?

Those bitter thoughts helped the young man make up his mind. Squaring his shoulders, Jeff raised the receiver of his cordless phone and punched in his older brother's cell phone number.

He knew Matt had just returned to the road to do houseshows. He'd been out of action pretty much since December, when he'd had a bad case of appendicitis and then gotten sick from the toxins they hadn't flushed out of his body. Matt was probably either about to have a match soon or had already had one. Jeff just hoped he would answer the call.

He was about to give up when his brother picked up on the fourth ring.

_"Hello?"_

Jeff knew Matt knew it was him. His home phone number was plugged into his cell phone.

"It's me, Matt," he said, not bothering to even say hello. He couldn't recall a time when he'd been more angry with his sibling. "I bet you know why I'm calling."

"_Oh, yeah - you wanted to wish me good luck in my first match back_," the other man stated. "_How nice of you_."

Jeff shook his head in spite of the fact that his brother couldn't see it through the phone. Either Matt was playing dumb or was really that oblivious. Or maybe he honestly didn't think he would know about the blog, since he didn't surf the internet on a regular basis.

"No, Matt... That's not it at all."

There was an ever so brief hesitation, and Jeff could hear his brother let out an exhale before speaking again.

"_Oh... Lemme guess - it's my blog you're talking about_?" he said.

"None other," Jeff answered with irritation. "Ashley came by and let me know about it. Matt, you really upset her. How could you do that?" he demanded. "How could you do that to her, and to _me_, your own brother?!"

He expected a string of apologies, but instead, his brother surprised him.

_"Jeff, the blog wasn't even about you guys."_

The younger Hardy paused as he absorbed that statement. It actually didn't make any sense, but he knew Matt was going somewhere with it.

_"It was about Amy and... and that piece of feces ex-boyfriend of hers."_

The rainbow-haired man arched an eyebrow at that. How naive did his brother think he was? How on earth would it have made any sense that the blog had been about Amy Dumas and Adam Copeland? Jeff knew the answer to his mental question, and that answer was, quite simply, _none_.

Nevertheless, he decided to play along. Finally, he cleared his throat and spoke again.

"Oh, okay, Matt. Glad we got that cleared up."

"_Yeah_," the other man said. "_No problem. Look, I gotta go get ready - big return match in_ _a few_."

Jeff exchanged goodbyes with his sibling before they hung up. For a long while after, he stayed seated there, his insides festering. He couldn't believe the nerve of his own brother.


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Thanks to Jayme, Inday, xAttitudex and rory21 for reviewing the last chapter of this story. You guys are awesome! I totally appreciate it. I've got a lot of chapters waiting to be added to this one, and things will be getting deeper soon enough! I hope you'll all continue to read, review and enjoy. ;)**_

_The Next Day_

Ashley felt a little better about herself as she returned home. She had just had her physical therapy session for her healing wrist, and she hadn't received any strange text messages from friends like she had the previous day.

She stepped into the house, keys clutched in her bad hand. Her little dog, a terrier-mix named Tobey, barked and jumped up and down excitedly, happy his mistress was back home.

She dropped her keys on the table in the kitchen, shrugging out of her jacket. Once it was off, she placed the garment on the back of one of the two chairs there and then stooped down to pick up Tobey. She'd thought it ironic that he'd been given to her by Matt, of all people.

The blonde entered her living room and turned on the computer. She supposed she was a glutton for punishment for doing that, but she couldn't help it. She was definitely addicted to the internet.

She placed the dog down on the couch and sat to kick off her shoes, sighing. After that, she stood back up and returned to the kitchen. It was a little after noon and she was hungry. She decided she might as well make some lunch.

It wasn't long before Ashley had a tuna sandwich made, and she carried it on a plate, along with a bottle of cranberry juice, to the living room. She sat before her PC and began surfing. As she logged onto her MySpace, she groaned at the realization that something was up. Apparently, Matt had run his mouth yet again. Shaking her head, she noticed that a fan had made mention to his newest blog. Oh, so he'd explained himself?

Ashley instantly clicked onto her ex-boyfriend's MySpace. Sure enough, he _had_ made a new blog.

"Oh, this oughta be interesting," she muttered to herself. Didn't he have anything better to do than talk trash about other people? She should have listened to her friends when they'd warned her against getting involved with him in the first place. She knew he'd had a very bitter breakup with Amy Dumas, whom he'd dated for a long time, before he'd had a short relationship with that Lori chick she'd briefly heard about. Although she'd denied it to herself, Ashley knew Matt had really never gotten past the incident. He definitely had problems with moving on.

Her blue eyes widened as she read the blog. According to what Matt said in this one, he had never been referring to Jeff and herself after all! But as she continued reading - re-reading specific parts - she knew he was lying. It seemed that everything he'd had to tell people lately was nothing _but_ lies. She felt her blood boiling as she clicked out of his page.

Pushing aside her half-eaten sandwich, Ashley picked up her cell phone and flipped it open. She decided it was time she had words with Matt. She dialed his number and pressed her lips tightly together as she held the device up to her ear, listening to it ring on the other end. It didn't take long for him to answer.

"Hello?"

"Matt..." she said, forgoing a hello. "... What's up? I read your blog yesterday. Then I come home from PT not even an hour ago and see your new one. You can't honestly tell me you weren't talking about me in the first one. Me _and_ your brother."

She was angry, and that feeling increased as she heard laughter coming from him. What a lot of nerve he had!

"I fail to see what you find so hilarious."

Somehow, that comment prompted yet more laughter out of the man.

"Ash... Didn't you even _read_ my new blog?" Hardy questioned. It was rhetorical, so he plundered on rather than allowing her a chance to respond. "It's not about you guys at all! It was about-"

"I'm sorry, but that's bullshit, Matt! You know it, I know it, and the entire internet knows it!" Ashley snapped. "Since when are you concerned about Adam Copeland?"

"I'm not."

"Well, then, you've just _proven_ that your new blog is a huge lie!" she shouted. "Because in the first one, you claim to be 'concerned' for these two people!"

"Ashley-"

But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of explaining himself at that very moment... Not while she was on a roll, and damn it, she had to get all of this out.

"How could you, Matt?" she cried, thoroughly hurt. "I thought things were okay between us when we broke up. I thought we were friends." She hated the fact that she could feel the tears burning behind her eyelids. She didn't want him to hear her break down, especially now. "You knew I was rehabbing my wrist, nothing more. How could say such awful things about me?" While it was true that she _had_ gotten totally shitfaced drunk after her last RAW appearance, when she'd returned following her stint doing _Survivor China_ it had been a one-time thing.

"How can you sit there at your computer while your brother is going through a rough time and needs help?" she shot. "Why don't you physically _be_ there for him and try to help instead of taking potshots at him?

Matt tried to get a word in edgewise, but Ashley wasn't having any of it. She was mere seconds away from a breakdown, and that was it. She was done.

"Goodbye, Matt." She ended the call and flung her cell phone onto the nearby couch, then sobbed into her hands.


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N: Thanks to Inday, rory21 and xAttitudex for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome! :)_**

"Ashley! Hey, Ashley!"

Jeff continued knocking on the screen door as he peered into the house, concern hitting him as he realized the door was wide open. Where was she? He couldn't imagine the blonde would have gone out and left her house unlocked.

He suddenly heard a small scuttling sound, and the diva's dog, Tobey, came over to sniff at him through the door. The black and white pooch began to not bark, but rather, yap, wagging his short tail excitedly.

Jeff cupped a hand over his eyes as he tried looking in through the door again. He knew she had to be there, but where was she? Why wasn't she answering? And then, suddenly, he realized he had missed her. She was there after all, sitting on the floor on one side of the living room, barely visible to his eyes. She had her back against one wall, her legs up and bent before her, her arms wrapped around them, hugging them against herself protectively. And if the rainbow-haired man didn't know better, he could swear she was crying.

"Ashley!" Telling himself, _To hell with it_, Jeff tested the latch on the screen door. It was indeed open, and so, he let himself in. He ignored Tobey for the time being, concerned as he approached the blonde woman.

"Hey." He knelt to her level and even waved a hand in front of her face. She was indeed crying, and she seemed to be in another place. He repositioned himself so that he was sitting Indian-style in front of her. He reached over, placing his hand on one of hers. "Are you okay? Please talk to me."

Ashley finally looked up to meet his eyes, and her own were full of tears. There was such an expression of hopelessness in them that Jeff felt as though his heart were breaking. As long as he'd known this woman, she'd always been so vibrant and happy, full of energy and life. Now, she looked desolate and devoid of happiness.

"Ash... Don't cry."

She shook her head, her gaze falling to his hand that was covering her own.

"You're right," she said, sniffling. She raised her other hand to wipe at the tears. "I shouldn't cry. It's just that I'm so angry, so hurt that he would say such vicious things."

Of course, the young man knew who she was referring to. His features hardened into a frown for a split second, and he looked down. He wondered if Ashley had done the same thing he had and called Matt to confront him about his blog.

"You spoke to Matt, didn't you?"

Ashley nodded, and somehow, she managed to keep the tears from returning. She recalled what her ex had said, the lie he'd told her over the phone. Sure, he was really talking about Adam Copeland and Amy Dumas... Sure.

"I called him about an hour ago," the blonde elaborated. "I wasn't going to do that at all, but when I read his new blog-"

"He's got another new blog?" Jeff questioned. His brows rose for a beat until the frown returned to his face. What more could his brother have said about them?

She nodded, pushing herself up to stand. She strode over to her computer, and Jeff rose and followed her.

"Look at this... He tried to cover up with a lie about who he was talking about in the first blog," Ashley said. "It's also pretty cryptic... But let's face it," she continued, meeting his green eyes as she looked at him from over her shoulder, "you and I both know him like a book."

He nodded. That was one-hundred percent true. He sat down at the computer as the woman gestured for him to do so and started reading what was open on the monitor. It was exactly what Matt had told him when he'd confronted him the other day. His eyes narrowed as he took it all in.

"Yeah, he said the same thing to me when I called him... Who the hell does he think he's foolin'?" Jeff muttered aloud. He knew who his brother's friends were, and with whom he hung out. Adam Copeland was not among those people. Although the two had once been close, their friendship had ended in the midst of the love triangle over Amy Dumas just over three years earlier. There was no way in hell Matt was referring to them - although that was what he claimed right here.

Disgusted, Jeff pushed the chair out and stood up. He had to get away from the computer before he smashed a fist into the keyboard. He normally didn't have much of a temper, but this was enough to push him over the edge. He sat down on the sofa instead, burying his face in his hands as he tried to grasp control over his emotions. He felt Ashley sit down near him a moment later. He felt her small hand suddenly on his shoulder.

Jeff looked up, meeting her concern-filled blue eyes. He'd come over wanting to find out how she was doing since the previous day. He had also felt badly about blowing her off for dinner and had wanted to make it up to her.

"You want to get out of here?" he suddenly asked her. He knew it sounded so out of the blue, but what the hell?

Ashley's expression changed for a second. She thought it over quickly and then nodded.

"Yeah... I think I'd like that," she replied.

She had no idea that was going to mark the beginning of something truly amazing.


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N: Thanks to rory21, Solitary Siren and xAttitudex for reviewing the last chapter! You guys rock! ;) Please continue reading and reviewing, and hope you enjoy this new chapter!_**

For the first time in days, Ashley actually found herself smiling. She couldn't stop thinking of that past weekend and strangely felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

She ran her good hand through her short, floppy blonde, black- and pink-streaked hair as she entered the building. She may have been out on injury leave, but that didn't mean she didn't have other matters at hand.

She was scheduled for an appearance at a _Best Buy_ in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She'd prettied herself up in a black, lacy midriff-baring top and low-rise black jeans, black heeled ankle boots, her lip piercings in place. Her hair was pinned back at the left side of her head, and she was all made up with eyeshadow, blush and lipstick in shades of pink.

She waved a friendly hello to the cheering fans already standing in line outside, waiting to meet her. A security person ushered her inside, and she briefly checked her watch, noting she was early. She knew Shelton Benjamin was scheduled to do the signing with her but didn't see him anywhere as she took a seat at the table that had been set up.

Ashley was considering doing some quick window shopping in the store, maybe even actually buy a few things, when she overheard a conversation nearby. Two of the security personnel were talking amongst themselves about the day's autograph signing, and she strained her ears, her expression gone serious as she thought she'd heard one of them wrong.

Rising to her feet a moment later and grabbing a complimentary bottle of water, the blonde approached the two men. She stood silently for a beat, hating to be one to interrupt when others were talking, but she just had to know. She gestured at them with a wave of her free hand to get their attention.

"Excuse me... Did you just say Shelton isn't coming?" she questioned.

"Yeah," one of the men said. "He's been replaced at the last minute."

"Oh." That was too bad, because she liked the young man. The day would have gone by pleasantly had she been doing the signing with him. Then, "Do you know who's taking his place?"

"Yeah... Matt Hardy."

Ashley's face fell, as did her spirits as she took in the man's response. Great... This was just terrific! Matt was exactly the last person she wanted to be stuck with for the entire day. She cast the two men as grateful a smile as she could manage and walked away.

All of a sudden, she was feeling as though she needed not water but a nice, stiff shot of bourbon.

Ashley had been at _Best Buy_ for about a half-hour, and she'd decided to shop a little as she waited for security to let the fans in. She was just paying for her purchases with her MasterCard at the register nearest the door when it suddenly opened. She heard the screams of fans outside and spotted her ex-boyfriend finally arriving. It was all she could do to keep from rolling her eyes.

She carried her bag of purchases back over to the table where they would meet and sign for the fans, her gaze staying on the man. She set her bag down and instantly reached behind her for the cell phone she'd left in the pocket of her denim jacket. The urge to send a text message suddenly hit her. She flipped her phone open and quickly typed away. She'd gotten to be such an expert at it that she'd managed to get the text typed and sent before Matt approached.

"Well, well, well... How are you, Ash?" her ex drawled as he took off his jacket and went around the table to sit beside her. He offered her a smile that looked more like a smirk.

"I'm just fine, Matt - thanks," she replied dryly. She folded her hands over the table, hoping she would be able to get through the day without incident.

Moments later, the doors were open and the fans who had been waiting to meet the WWE superstar and diva burst into the store. Ashley had a difficult time not bursting into laughter as she suddenly heard a young fan say, "Hey, I thought it was supposed to be Ashley and Shelton! What's Matt Hardy doing here?!" And then, she had an even tougher time keeping a straight face as she caught a glimpse of Matt and his reaction.

Unfortuntely, he'd caught onto her.

"What's so funny?"

The slender blonde faced him, her smile gone. She feigned innocence, giving him a little shrug.

"What?"

He narrowed his dark eyes as he stared at her.

"Oh, you found that amusing, did you?" he said.

Ashley shook her head and somehow refrained from rolling her eyes.

"Matt," she said, "I really have no idea what you're talking about." She fixed a smile onto her face as fans began approaching. She said a cheery hello as she reached out to shake hands with a teenage girl.

For now, Hardy clamped his mouth shut to retorting. He had work to do now, fans to meet. He would deal with his ex-girlfriend and her ridiculing later.

Ashley signed a glossy photo of herself for the girl and felt her cell phone vibrate in her jacket. She knew that meant she'd just received a response to the text message she'd sent earlier. She ignored it for the time being, however, as she smiled and posed with a young man for a picture.

Things seemed to be going pretty smoothly for the most part, until it happened...

Someone actually got up the nerve to question Matt about the blogs he'd recently posted on his MySpace. Ashley's mood abruptly dropped a great degree. When her former boyfriend cleared his throat and actually began to answer the fan's question, the blonde could feel her blood beginning to boil - and she knew there was about to be a fight, and it wouldn't be pretty. Not for the first time, she wished it were Shelton at the signing with her.


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N: Thanks to annskieesofresh, Inday, xAttitudex, Solitary Siren, rory21 and Dizzle the Lord of Superstars for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome! :) I have a feeling you'll all be loving the next couple of chapters (a lot more Ash/Jeff interaction and cuteness coming in those!). Keep reading and reviewing, and as always, enjoy!_**

"Oh, get the fuck out of my face!"

Ashley's countenance was a mask of consternation as she yelled at her ex-boyfriend. She was relieved she had somehow refrained from confronting him until after the last fan had left. Once the signing had ended, however, she had let loose and told him exactly how she felt about his little cryptic comments.

"Oh, come on, Ash! You aren't serious about this!" Matt said.

The blonde waved a hand at him in dismissal.

"I've never been _more_ serious in my life, Matthew. No, go on home - _leave me_!"

Hardy shook his head, a slow smile spreading across his lips. She was being damned impossible. They were standing outside the store, in front of the limo that was waiting to take them both home. Ashley was vehemently refusing to ride with him. She was stupid! How in hell did she expect to get home - walk?

"Stop being foolish, Ashley... How are you gettin' home?"

"I'll fucking _walk_!" she yelled. "On my own two feet." She pointed down at her heeled boot-clad size seven and a half dogs.

Ignoring any further protests he had, the angry blonde woman started to walk. She knew her way home from there, and it really wasn't that far. She'd make it back in about half an hour, give or take.

Sighing and shrugging, the dark-haired man entered the limosine. As the driver started the engine, he gave him some quick instructions.

"Hey, Ash!" he shouted.

The diva didn't even turn around as she knew the limo had sidled up to her by the empty curb. She wondered what it would take to get through to him... She didn't want to be bothered!

"Don't be foolish!"

She ignored him and kept on walking. She knew the vehicle was still trailing her, as she could see its headlights reflecting off the street ahead of her. Was he not going to give up?

Several minutes passed before Matt yelled to her again.

"At least gimme a call when you get home - so I know you made it okay!"

Ashley scowled. _Yeah, keep dreaming_! she thought with bitterness. She narrowed her eyes as the limo finally sped up to normal speed and drove right past her. She barely watched it as it made a right turn at the next light, disappearing from her sight.

Damn him to hell! She was absolutely furious. It was hard to believe she had ever dated Matt Hardy, much less even been in love with him. The mere idea of it now seemed ludicrous.

She hated having to walk home. Sure, she'd played it all tough, in that she'd refused a ride with him in favor of walking. But it wasn't fair. She should have gotten the ride home in the limo and _he_ should have been forced to walk home!

Shaking her head as she realized she should have laid down the law in that way, Ashley reached for her cell phone. Flipping it open, she saw that Jeff had actually sent her yet another text message. She quickly read it, a smile now coming easily to her face.

Instead of punching out a response, the blonde hit a couple of buttons, then pressed the phone to her ear. It rang twice before he answered.

"Hey," Jeff said cheerfully. "So, is the agony over?"

Ashley laughed, knowing full well that by 'agony,' he meant her being subjected to having to share the signing with Matt.

"Hey," she said. "Yeah, it is. I'm on my way home now."

"Then you lied - the agony _isn't_ over."

"Actually, it _is_," she replied. "He took the limo home. I'm walking."

"You're walking?" the young man asked. "Why?"

She shrugged, even though he of course couldn't see the gesture.

"I didn't want to ride with him. We got into a big fight."

"Ash..." She could hear a sort of scolding tone in his voice. "... You shouldn't be walkin' all by yourself this time of night."

"It's only a little past nine!" she scoffed.

Jeff sighed, then, "I know, but the streets aren't always safe for a lady alone at night."

She rolled her blue eyes.

"You forget I'm from New York. I promise you, Jeff - I'm fine." A slow smile crept onto her face as an idea suddenly hit her. Instead of her intended route, she turned at a certain street and headed another way.

They continued chatting for several more minutes until Ashley announced that she had to go.

She bit her lip, her gaze trained on the house up ahead. She debated with herself for a beat, then made up her mind, smiling as she trekked up the walk.

"Ash!" Jeff exclaimed with surprise as he opened the door to see her standing there. "What are you doing here?"

"Paying you a little visit," she answered, a bright smile dominating her pretty face.

The rainbow-haired man grinned as Jack barked and jumped up a little on the woman. She greeted him quickly, and then Jeff ushered her into his house.

"C'mon, woman... Get in here!"


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: Thanks to Solitary Siren, annskieesofresh, rory21 and xAttitudex for reviewing the last chapter! You guys are totally awesome! :)_**

Jeff yawned and stretched, squinting as sunlight filtering in through the windows hit his eyes. He had never been much of a morning person.

He pushed the blanket off and swung his legs around to the side of the bed. Yawning again, he rose and started walking toward the hallway. Jack jumped off the foot of the bed, where he'd been curled up, and went after him.

The young man passed by the guest room, the door of which was open. His peripheral vision caught a hint of a mess in the bed when he remembered that Ashley had spent the night.

She was _anything_ but a mess... The pretty blonde had stopped by unexpectedly after her signing - which, unfortunately, she'd had to share with his brother - her ex-boyfriend. She'd told him all about that experience, not leaving out the fight they'd had after all the fans had cleared out of _Best Buy_.

Jeff ran a hand over his face as he stood there in the doorway of the guest room. His gaze traveled to the bed again, where Ashley lay still asleep amid the black blanket and black-cased pillows. She was on her back, her head slightly turned, shaggy blonde, black and pink hair mussed. Her right arm was outstretched a little, as though reaching for something or someone beside her. One of her small, dainty, pink-toenail-polished feet was exposed, not covered by the blanket. She looked so tiny and angelic in her sleep, and Jeff couldn't imagine how, in nearly three years of knowing her, their relationship had merely been in passing, and because of Matt.

Well, the friendship they had so recently forged actually _was_ because of Matt. If not for him and his stupid cryptic comments, he and Ash might have never really spoken. He supposed that, for that one key thing, he was grateful toward his brother.

He was still standing there a moment later when the blonde began to awaken. She gave a little stretch, her right hand going to her face as she rubbed her eyes.

"Jeff?"

The rainbow-haired warrior came back to his senses. Clearing his throat, he issued a greeting to her.

"Mornin', Ash."

She yawned, one hand going to the side of her mouth. Then, she sat up and pushed the blanket aside as Jeff's cute little dog ran over and up onto the bed.

"Hello, Jack," she sang cheerfully. She pet him and bent forward as the dog licked her face. She laughed.

The young man stood there and watched the scene in silence. It was pretty cute to see his dog and the diva getting along so well. He suddenly realized she still hadn't said good morning back to him, and it stung a little. He ignored that, but couldn't do the same with his hunger as his stomach growled.

Finally, the blonde stepped onto the floor and got up to make her way into the hall. Jack was right at her heels.

"Good morning," she said as she smiled up at Jeff. "Thanks again for letting me crash here, by the way."

"Anytime," the younger Hardy said, "and you don't need to thank me." He stared at her for a beat. "C'mon, let's have some breakfast. I'm starved."

"Sounds good to me."

Ashley followed the young man through the house until they reached the kitchen. She lowered herself into a chair and propped her elbows onto the table, her hands covering her eyes.

"Still sleepy?" he questioned as he opened the refrigerator door.

She shook her head.

"Nah. Well, just a little. It's funny, though - I really had a great sleep. That bed is _so_ comfortable."

Jeff had his head inside the fridge as he searched for something for them to eat while his ass was the only part of him visible to her. The little blonde laughed.

He came up with an egg in his hand.

"What?" he asked, completely guileless as to the reason for her laughter.

Ashley waved him off with one hand.

"It's nothing... It was just that I was talking to you, but all I could see of you was your ass!"

"Oh." For some reason, the young man was slightly embarrassed.

"Don't worry," the blonde quipped, "it's a very _nice_ ass." She giggled girlishly as she studied his facial expression.

Jeff smirked, then smiled. He even let out a small chuckle of his own before thanking her.

"So," he went on, "scrambled eggs sound okay to you?"

She nodded, licking her lips.

"Sounds _great_ to me. It's quick and easy, and I bet you're a good cook," she said.

"Well," Jeff said, cocking his head to one side, "not the best... But I do okay."

The blonde rested her chin on her hands and watched with amusement as he puttered around his kitchen. It felt quite nice to be domestic, for a change. She was enjoying spending time with him, getting to really know him as a friend. He was pretty much the exact opposite of his brother, and for some reason, she found herself eternally grateful for that.

She smiled as she felt Jack suddenly tickle her feet, realizing he was licking her! She bent over to pet him, enjoying herself for the first time in days.

A few minutes later, Jeff had breakfast done and ready to serve. He turned to see Ashley playing with his dog again and smiled. For some reason unknown to him, it felt as though this wasn't going to be their first breakfast ever together here in his house. Spending time with her felt so natural and nice.

Ashley suddenly looked up and realized Jeff had placed a plate on the table before her.

"Yay!" she exclaimed, a bright smile adorning her pretty face. She bounded up to wash her hands before returning to the table.

The young man smiled at her, his gaze not leaving her - not even as he fed Jack a minute later.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Thanks to Dizzle the Lord of Superstars, rory21 and xAttitudex for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome! ;) Things are about to get a little intense and emotional here, so hold onto your hats!**_

_Two days later_

Jeff kicked the trash can in his kitchen, thoroughly disgusted with himself. He tore loosely at his hair as he realized just how weak a person he was. He had succumbed yet again.

He needed help. He knew that inside and out. The company hadn't suspended him for nothing. He sat down and reached a hand out, his fingers just touching the telephone's receiver. He toyed with the idea of calling Matt, but then wondered why he would want to put himself in such a position. His brother wouldn't help him, he would post another 'cryptic' blog about him on MySpace!

The young man's mind made up, he yanked the receiver and dialed. Pressing the device to his ear, he inwardly prayed for an answer.

"_Hello_?" a sleepy voice spoke.

"Hi, Ash."

"_Jeff? What is it? Why are you calling so_ _early_?"

He ran his free hand through his hair.

"I need help... I-I did a real stupid thing this mornin'."

Suddenly, the woman on the other end was wide awake. She needed no further explanation.

"_I'll come right over_," she promised.

Jeff didn't have to wait long as Ashley took only ten minutes to arrive. She rang the doorbell to the minute, and he rushed to let her in.

Their eyes met the moment the door opened, his slightly bloodshot and unfocused. Hers were flooded with concern.

"Oh, my God... Jeff, what did you do?"

The rainbow-haired man led her by the wrist, which he loosely held onto, showing her the nearly empty bottle.

"Percocet... Painkillers?" the blonde asked in a soft, worried tone. "Were you in pain from a past injury?"

"Nope. That's the thing... I took 'em and didn't need 'em." His words were a tiny bit slurred, which she hadn't noticed when they were on the phone earlier.

Ashley's expression reflected her disappointment.

"Oh, Jeff."

He nearly cried upon seeing such a look cross those lovely features. At that very moment, he realized that she was just about the last person he would want to give him such a look. He didn't want to disappoint her.

"Ash..." Jeff edged closer to the pretty blonde, his hand coming up to her cheek. She didn't move a muscle to get away from him, and he allowed his fingers to stroke the soft, smooth skin. He marveled at the feel of it. "... I'm sorry."

She stared deeply into his eyes and nodded, not moving or avoiding the physical contact. Instead, she put her arms around him.

"I know, Jeff... I know." She felt tears wanting to come forth from behind her eyelids, hating to see the otherwise strong but sensitive young man this way. Jeff Hardy was exactly what veteran RAW announcer Jim "JR" Ross had always dubbed him - an enigma. He was strange and beautiful and unique... and Ashley could no longer deny her attraction toward him. They were so alike on many different levels, and it sort of scared her. He was her ex-boyfriend's brother, yet the two were polar opposites of one another. And she knew she had developed feelings for Jeff over the last few weeks.

"I-I need help, Ash," he said again, his voice heavily tinged with despair. His hand moved from her face, and he was now holding her as she was him.

Ashley winced at his emotion.

"Do you want me to help?" she asked uncertainly. She wasn't a therapist or counselor, but she was definitely willing to get him into rehab. She would do everything and anything she could to help this man.

Instead of responding with words, Jeff suddenly burst into tears. Sobs wracked his body as he hugged the diva closer, so tightly that she could barely breathe. Ashley didn't dare pull back or complain, however, and she felt her tears finally spill forth. She held him tightly, her hands running up and down his back.

Finally, she allowed herself to speak again.

"I'm here, Jeff... I'm here, and as long as you need me, I won't go anywhere." She held him back and gazed into his eyes as she spoke. She meant every word she'd said. Whatever it took, she would be right there with him, for him.

The young man nodded, still holding her. His eyes focused somewhat better than before, he mouthed a response to her.

"Thank you." Even in his painkiller haze, he was perfectly able to wonder how Matt had managed to screw things up with this adorable, precious woman. She was an absolute gem. He mentally vowed to himself that, should he succeed in getting help, and getting clean, and he was so fortunate as to get a chance with her, he wouldn't blow it.

Ashley knew from Matt that Jeff had gone to a rehab center before, a few years prior. He had done well afterward until falling off the wagon again all this time later. She wanted to help him contact the place again.

Leading him to the living room couch, she sat beside him. He seemed reluctant not to touch her, as though he were trying to draw strength from her form.

"Jeff... The treatment center you went to a few years back - what was it called?"

He told her, then retrieved their number, which he still had in his cell phone's memory book.

Ashley stared at the display, absorbing the ten digits in her mind. She was about to make the call herself, but the young man stopped her.

"No - let _me_ do that."

As he took the phone from her, Ashley felt such warmth rush through her. She knew how tough this was for Jeff, but he knew he had to take those first few baby steps to get any farther. And she couldn't have been more proud of him.

She sat back, cross-legged, as she watched and listened to him.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Thanks to .CMPunkluver., Death's snare, viciousvictoria and rory21 for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome! :)**_

_Four weeks later_

True to his word, Jeff had gone to the rehab clinic. It was his goal to get back to being one hundred percent clean and sober. He loved his career and didn't want to lose it by screwing up again. He knew that this was his second strike, and with a third, he would be out. He couldn't let that happen.

Besides that, the young man truly loved life. And he wanted to live it to the fullest, but in order to do that, he had to break free of his addictions. He knew he could never _not_ be an addict, but at least he could call himself "recovered."

Ashley had kept her promise to him as well. She visited him often and had even stopped by his house on a daily basis to take care of Jack and tend to the home. She was truly a godsend, and he considered her probably his best friend at this point.

Four weeks to the day clean and sober, Jeff was heading home. He felt stronger and wiser, better prepared to face whatever life threw his way. He waited outside, wanting to breathe in the fresh air and bask in the sunshine.

As he was sitting on a bench in front of the clinic, he suddenly spotted her familiar petite form.

Ashley smiled at him as she approached.

"Hi," she said, and a very light, comfortable breeze picked up strands of her blonde hair.

He rose to go to her.

"Hi, Ash." He pulled her to him for a hug, realizing how good she smelled and how nice she felt in his embrace. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Ready to go?" she questioned.

He nodded, turning to the bag he'd left near the bench.

"Absolutely."

They walked a small distance to her car, which was parked just down the block. There was an easy silence between them as the young woman unlocked the doors so they could get in. She slipped the key into the ignition, her gaze away from him as he slid into the passenger's side.

"So... How are you feeling, Jeff? I mean, how are you _really_ feeling?" She slid her window down a crack and turned to catch him staring at her, a strange expression on his face. "Jeff?" she asked, worry coursing through her.

"I won't lie," he said, his southern accent showing through unmistakably. "It's a little rough at times, but I'm actually feelin' great now."

Ashley smiled, letting the engine just go for the time being.

"Oh, I'm glad," she said. She really was touched by the fact that he'd allowed her to watch after Jack and the house. It had really been her pleasure to do everything she could for him while he did what was vital for his survival, both physically and mentally.

Jeff was still staring at her. But this time, a tiny smile was playing at his lips.

"What?"

He shook his head. During the four weeks he'd been in rehab, he hadn't colored his hair, so now it was back to its natural dirty blond shade.

"Nothin'," he said, his face still looking as though he had some big, special secret she knew nothing about.

The blonde was about to face forward again to start driving when he surprised her. Very quickly and unexpectedly, he leaned over and placed a fast kiss on her lips. She barely even had time to react or respond. She raised a hand to her mouth, her fingers not quite touching it. She gazed at him with wonder but felt touched. He was such a sweet man, yet so enigmatic and unpredictable. She never knew what to expect with Jeff Hardy.

They drove in silence except for the radio, which played a local hard rock station they both liked. Fifteen minutes later, they reached his house, and Jeff was excited to see his dog after about a month. Jack jumped up and yapped happily at his master's return home.

With the Jack Russell in his arms, the young man stared at his surroundings. The house looked impeccable, as though he'd never left - or, more aptly, as though _he_ didn't live there! It was so clean and spotless, he could probably have eaten off the floor.

He stared at Ashley, who was busy hanging his jacket up in the nearby hall closet. She was really something else. He was surprised at her apparently very domestic side. She turned to catch him eyeing her yet again.

The blonde diva smiled and held her gaze on him. As she neared, she thought about how sweet a picture it was - Jeff holding Jack, the dog seeming happy as a clam.

"You know, I'm really proud of you, Jeff," she said. She was standing just inches before him.

He bent over to release Jack to the floor, then straighten to face her again.

"Thanks... I just have to make sure I stay on this clean and healthy road." He shook his head. "There's no other option for me," he added.

She nodded.

"You're right."

He suddenly realized something was different about her.

"Hey, your wrist..."

Ashley raised her arm, touching the wrist with her other hand.

"Oh, yeah... I got the cast off a couple of days ago. They said the healing was going more quickly than they thought, and voile!" She grinned. "I still have to go to PT, though, a little while longer."

"Cool," Jeff said. He couldn't stop staring at her, and on top of that, he could no longer hold back.

Without another word, he closed the last small amount of distance between them, sweeping her up into his arms. His mouth was on hers, and he supposed it was relief that he felt when Ashley responded in an instant, her lips hot as they parted and she kissed him back. Her hands tangled in his hair as they kissed again and again, the heat between them undeniable.

As he laid her down on the couch, hovering over her to kiss her again - and to do whatever else might happen - Jeff knew for sure... He was in love with Ashley. So in love, in fact, that it almost hurt.


	10. Chapter 10

**_A/N: You guys seem to have misunderstood at the end of the last chapter - a lot more than just kissing or making out happened! :-P Well, you find that out in this new one. LOL. Thanks to Dizzle the Lord of Superstars, .CMPunkluver., wrestlefan4 and rory21 for reviewing that last chapter. I'm SO glad this story is a success! And you guys rock for reading and reviewing! ;)_**

Ashley gazed down at Jeff's face as they lay there together, still on his couch. They were both sweaty, and his head was on her stomach as she lazily played with his hair.

She could hardly believe they had just made love. It had been amazing and so passionate. Jeff was an excellent lover, more skilled than his brother. Funny enough, he was also bigger, and he was the '_little_' brother. She would have laughed at that thought, but instead, she was a bit on edge about where exactly they stood.

"Hey." The young man moved, sitting up slightly to peer into her lovely, thoughtful face. She'd been so silent ever since their lovemaking had ended. He reached out for her face, gently tracing her profile with his left forefinger. "Penny for your thoughts?"

She offered him a weak smile but couldn't seem to find her voice. She couldn't help but feel somewhat empty now that he was no longer inside of her... And she worried about the state of the two of them, their friendship. What would become of it now?

Jeff gazed at her wordlessly for a beat. His hand lowered to grasp one of hers, and he held it against his heart.

"Ash, I have to be honest with you... I... I..."

The blonde steeled herself, but she felt her emotions well up inside of her. So, this was it, he was going to blow her off, tell her that what had just happened was strictly sex and that he only wanted to be friends... He didn't feel that way about her, he'd only gotten caught up in the moment.

"... I think I'm in love with you."

Ashley stared at him with surprise. He _loved_ her? It was just about the last thing she'd expected to hear... And yet, he'd said so, and his green eyes were soft, almost caressing as he gazed at her. She smiled, feeling the tears well up in her eyes.

"Really?" When he nodded, she let out a soft little chuckle. "I love you, too, Jeff." She cupped his face in her hands, her heart swelling as she brought her lips closer to his for another kiss. He was so kind and tender, sweeter than probably any man she'd ever known.

Moments later, he raised his head from hers to gaze into her blue eyes. He gently brushed away her tears, then kissed the tips of her fingers one-by-one. Then, holding onto her hand again, he spoke.

"I'm so grateful toward you," he murmured. "You have been so amazing... Thank you for being there for me, and for all your support." He felt his own eyes growing misty as he went on. "You've stood by me when no one else has... not even my own brother. You've been such a great friend to me."

Ashley smiled and brought her face to his again. She kissed him on the forehead, her free hand stroking his hair. She was at a loss for words again and not quite sure what to say. But she wouldn't have been anywhere else while he needed her, and she hoped he knew that.

They stayed there like that for awhile longer. Jeff thought it would be paradise to just hold the beautiful blonde forever and ever, but he suddenly realized he was hungry. He moved, though reluctant to part from her.

"I'm a little hungry," he said as she watched him. "Lunch?" He picked up his pants off the floor and slipped into them.

Ashley retrieved her own garments and began to get dressed. Now that she thought about it, she was actually famished. She joined him in the kitchen, smiling as she sat down at the table. He had already gone looking in the fridge, which she'd made sure to stock full of newly purchased groceries just in time for his homecoming.

"Mmm... How about ham and cheese?"

"Sounds good to me," she replied. Absently, she played with Jack, who had suddenly appeared at her feet. Her mind began to drift, her thoughts focusing on the fact that somehow, she had fallen in love with her ex-boyfriend's brother. That led her to begin wondering how Matt would take this.

Although she was feeling elated at the moment and didn't want to spoil it, Ashley knew she had to bring it up. The subject was bound to arise anyway, so there was no time like the present.

"Um... Jeff?"

"Uh huh." He was busy making their sandwiches over by the counter next to the sink but cast her a smiling glance over his shoulder.

"I think..." She bit her lip, hesitating as she sought the right choice of words. "Well, maybe we shouldn't let Matt know about this just yet."

The young man turned with the two plates of sandwiches and met her eyes. He nodded as he came over to sit near her.

"Yeah, you're right," he said. "I'm not sure he would be wild to the idea of his brother and ex-girlfriend being together." He took a bite of his lunch and chewed, thoughtful as he swallowed. "So, what are we gonna do in the meantime?"

Ashley rose to grab a couple of glasses and a bottle of cranberry juice from the refrigerator. As she poured for each of them, she answered his question.

"In the meantime," the blonde began, her eyes locking with his, "we'll see each other but be discreet about it." She raised her glass to her lips for a long sip of juice.

Jeff nodded and elaborated on the plan.

"Sounds good. So, we'll keep it a secret for awhile, until we just tell him."

Ashley smiled at the sound of that. A chill crept onto her skin, but it was one of delicious anticipation. The thought of the two of them meeting secretly was highly erotic to her. She nodded, loving the idea.


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: Thanks to wrestlefan4, AshMattXoXo, .CMPunkluver. and rory21 for reviewing that last chapter. You're all awesome, and thanks for continually inspiring me further with this story! ;)**_

_The next week_

Jeff crossed through the small hallway connecting his living room with the front door. The bell had just rung, and he figured his new girlfriend was paying him a visit. He felt a smile coming as he opened the door, not bothering with the peephole.

It was not Ashley after all. The visitor was not even female. He stood there, thoroughly surprised to see Matt.

"Hey, Jeff." The dark-haired man smiled at him as he merely stood there silently in the doorway. "Well? Aren't you gonna let me in?"

"Uh... Yeah. Sure, come in," the younger man replied. He closed the door behind his sibling and followed him into the other room.

"Wow, bro - I'm impressed! You've really got this place sparkling." Matt glanced around, his face a mask of amazement. In all their lives, he'd never recalled Jeff being so neat. The house looked really clean, tidy and even sparkling, as he'd said.

"Yeah." Jeff ran a hand through his dirty-blond locks, hoping his brother wouldn't figure anything out, at least not yet. Then again, Ashley had been _his_ girlfriend some time ago, and he knew she'd cleaned up his house on occasion as well.

There was an awkward but brief silence between them for a moment. The enigmatic Hardy swallowed hard, dismayed to realize that a lump had formed in his throat. He wasn't afraid of Matt... And he and Ash had every intention of telling him about them - just not yet.

Pushing thoughts of that out of his mind, the young man faced his sibling. He had a little something to ask him as well as to say.

"What are you doing here, Matt?"

The older Hardy eyed him with surprise. He smiled again, recovering, and shrugged, then spread his arms as he faced him.

"What kind of question is that? I'm not allowed to visit my baby brother?" he asked defensively. "Jeff, I care about you. I wanted to see how you were doing."

Jeff's normally placid features hardened at that. He stared at his brother in icy silence for a beat, then launched on him.

"If that were really true, you would have visited me during my month in rehab... But you never once did that."

The dark-haired man blinked and opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out for a moment. Then, "It would have been a little difficult for me, what with bein' on the road for shows and stuff."

"Bullshit, Matt!" the younger brother snapped. "You're not on the road 24/7! You're home three days a week, and if you really cared, you would've stopped by to see me!" Jeff shook his head, disgusted. His closest friends hadn't visited him, either, and it stung. He supposed it was due to their disappointment of him for falling off the wagon again. Ashley had been the only person who'd cared enough, and that showed him how she truly felt about him. And although his friends hadn't stopped by the center to see him, at least they hadn't posted blogs about him all over the internet.

"I _called_ you." A gleam of challenge came into Matt's brown eyes.

"For the love of God, Matt!" Jeff cried. "You called me once - _one_ whole time! And you mostly talked about your new storyline! You barely asked how I was doin'!" He glared at his brother, beyond angry. It was rare that the young man was truly irate, but Matt had pushed him past his limit. He'd had enough.

"At least I _called_!"

The younger Hardy stood up and smashed a fist onto his coffee table. Matt was actually quite surprised, to the extent that he flinched. He'd never seen Jeff this mad before and wondered if he were actually on something.

"Jeez, calm down, will you?" he said.

"Matt..." The younger man said the name calmly and ran a hand through his dirty-blond locks. "... Just... go - get out."

"What?"

Jeff shook his head, his green orbs closing with frustration.

"You heard me," he replied in an even tone. "I'd like you to leave."

The darker Hardy stared at him with shock. Inside, he was beginning to get ticked off himself. What in hell had gotten into Jeff? It was like he wasn't himself anymore. He rose and pursed his lips together.

"Fine... Have it your way, Jeff." His eyes narrowed as he looked directly into the younger man's eyes. "Just give me a ring if you need anything." He started for the door, nearly stepping on Jack as he went. The little dog yelped and ran out of the way. He'd never really liked his master's brother.

Outside, on the front stoop, Matt's right hand clenched into a fist. Something - he didn't know what - was up with his little brother. It wasn't drugs as he'd thought for a minute there... No, it was something else... And he intended to find out _what_.


	12. Chapter 12

**_A/N: Thanks to .CMPunkluver., eman176st, rory21, wrestlefan4 and AshMattXoXo for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome! ;) I managed to get in a new chapter again already, hope you all likey. :)_**

As Jeff held Ashley in his arms, he realized that he never wanted to let her go. But he knew that was an impossibility, as her return date was looming just head of them.

With her wrist now completely healed, the blonde had officially been cleared to return to action. She would be appearing on the next edition of RAW in a couple more days. While he was happy for her, the young man also felt a bit bummed out for himself. How was he going to manage without her?

Jeff kissed Ashley's fragrant hair, reminding himself that she would be home three days out of the week. Well, the number was two on weeks the WWE had pay-per-views, but that wasn't so terrible. But he had to acknowledge he'd grown so attached to her in all the time since his suspension - which he still had another month to endure. He knew he had an addictive personality as well and had - for lack of a better wording for it - become _addicted_ to her.

_Yeah_, he thought as she clung onto him and he gazed down at her, _she's my beautiful addiction_.

Ashley snuggled up to him, her hair lightly tickling his nose. She made a soft, contented sound before speaking her mind.

"You're worrying, aren't you?"

"Huh?"

Gently unentangling herself from his hold, the young woman turned over so that she was facing him. She lay on top of him fully, her forefinger tracing his lips seductively, and she smiled.

"Don't play coy with me, Jeffrey Nero Hardy... I know you better than you think. You're worrying about me going back on the road, thus leaving you all alone," she said.

"How did you know that?" he asked. It was kind of freaky, the way she read his mind.

Ashley shrugged, running her fingers through his hair.

"I _know_ you."

Jeff held up both his hands in mock surrender.

"Okay, Ash - you got me. I dunno if I can get along without you," he said honestly.

Her expression grew serious as she realized he wasn't merely joking. She gazed into his green eyes and tried to reassure him.

"You'll be fine, Jeff... You've done great so far, and come a long way."

He lowered his gaze for a moment.

"I know," he admitted, "but you've been right by my side through this whole ordeal." He raised his eyes back to meet hers and said, "It's just that I've grown to really depend on you... and to really, really love you."

Her heart melted at his sweet words. One of the things that had made it so easy for her to fall in love with him was his sensitivity. She supposed in some way, another was his vulnerability. At times, he was much like a lost little boy - not that she wanted someone to "save."

Touched, she lowered her head to his, kissing him as passionately as she could. She nearly died at the soft feel of his hands in her hair, caressing it away from her face.

They stayed like that for several minutes until she finally pulled away. She smiled softly as she gazed into his eyes.

"I love you," she murmured. She touched his nose gently with her own before kissing him again, this time quickly. "And you know we'll be together every day that I'm home. And hey, we're on the same roster," she reminded him.

Jeff smiled at that. He'd forgotten that she was now going to be on RAW. After all, she'd only been there one night before sustaining her most recent injury.

"That's true," he said. "I couldn't be happier about that."

Ashley grinned and placed her hand on his cheek in a most loving manner.

"And we won't have to hide our relationship, since Matt's on SmackDown."

Matt... Damn it, Jeff had all but forgotten about his brother. His smile faded as his mood suddenly soured.

"What?" the blonde asked, concerned. "What's the matter?"

The young man felt badly. He'd never even mentioned Matt's visit to his girlfriend, and it had taken place last week.

Jeff sat up and ran a hand through his locks. Licking his lips nervously, he said, "Matt stopped by last week."

Ashley's face registered some surprise.

"He did?"

"Yeah, he was checking up on me... Said he wanted to see how I was doin'."

"Oh," she said. "Well, that was nice of him... I guess." She wasn't exactly sure of how _he_ felt about it yet, so she didn't want to point out that Matt hadn't visited him in rehab or upset him in any way.

Jeff shrugged.

"It's not like he cared before," he said, bitterness prevalent in his voice. "I confronted him, said if he really cared about how I was doing, he'd have come over or at least called, rather than makin' that damn blog."

Ashley's heart sank. Sure, she was no longer fond of Matt, not even as a friend at this point. But he was Jeff's brother, and she wanted them to get along for the sake of their familial ties.

"I threw him out," the young man continued.

"Oh, Jeff." While she couldn't blame him for that, it still bothered the blonde that the Hardys weren't seeing eye-to-eye.

"But look," he said, suddenly changing the subject, "for now, let's pretend I don't even _have_ a brother... because I'd much rather focus on _you_." He smiled softly as he gazed up into her sparkling blue eyes, his hand in her hair, caressing it.

Ashley lowered her head to his, kissing him into oblivion.


	13. Chapter 13

**_A/N: Thanks to .CMPunkluver., wrestlefan4, AshMattXoXo and rory21 for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome! ;)_**

Rumors were flying around rampant through the backstage area - not just at RAW, but through all three rosters.

Everyone knew Ashley was involved with someone again. The only detail they _didn't_ know was the identity of her boyfriend. Some of the superstars speculated that she was back with Matt, or with Paul London.

Once all of this had reached Matt Hardy's ears, he made certain not to deny it. On the contrary, as was characteristic of his nature, he preferred to let people use their own imaginations. Maybe he _was_ with Ashley, maybe he _wasn't_. It was all part of the games he customarily enjoyed playing. That was the whole reason behind his cryptic blogs, after all. He thrived on keeping people guessing at all times.

Of course, Matt knew one thing with one hundred percent certainty - he was _not_ dating Ashley again. He wondered who was, though. He supposed she and Paul had patched things up. The more he thought about it, the more curious he felt. He decided to ask around.

"Hey," Matt asked a wrestler on line before him at catering, "you hear the news about Ashley?"

The person who turned around to face him turned out to be Chuck Palumbo.

"Yeah," the bigger man said, "isn't she back with you?"

The nosy dark-haired man shook his head.

"Nope, it's not me."

"Well, that's odd," Palumbo said with a shrug, "'cause I heard his last name is 'Hardy.'" He turned to face forward again and reached for a plate.

Although not showing it outwardly, Matt was suddenly seething. His heart just about stopped for a second, but now it was pounding like crazy. It couldn't be true... It simply _couldn't_. It seemed an impossibility, an unreachable idea. But regardless, somehow, he was going to get to the bottom of things.

--

The weather was surprisingly pleasant that day, as it had been unseasonably chilly for spring. Jeff was quite content to be out on his patio with Ashley and Jack, enjoying the early evening and barbecuing. Aside from his suspension being over and done with, he couldn't imagine a more perfect day.

It was too bad he didn't see trouble heading his way.

Ashley was playing with Jack on the lawn below at the moment when the phone rang. Jeff looked up from the lounge chair he was parked in, reluctant to take his eyes off the chicken and steak that was cooking on the barbecue a few feet away. He was considering letting the answering machine pick up but then thought better of it.

He entered the house, answering breathlessly as he pressed the cordless phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Jeff, it's me," Matt spoke from the other end.

The younger man felt a sigh coming but didn't give voice to it. He supposed Matt was calling to check up on him since their not-so-pleasant meeting.

"Yeah... Hello." He couldn't help but wonder what the older man wanted.

"So," Matt said after a brief pause, "what are you up to?"

"Nothin'," Jeff replied. "Just having a barbecue is all."

There was a beat of silence again. Jeff really didn't know what more to say. All he knew was that his brother had upset him the last time they'd spoken, and he really didn't expect an apology, either.

"You got people over?"

"No," the younger Hardy replied, probably much too quickly.

"Oh. Well, I was just wondering. You usually have company for a barbecue," he pointed out.

Jeff glanced over his shoulder, out at the barbecue as his sibling spoke. Smoke was curling up from it, and Ashley was nowhere in sight. She probably hadn't even realized the phone had rung, let alone that he'd run to answer it.

"What'cha having?" Matt asked.

The younger man made up his mind, deciding to chance going back out onto the patio with the phone. Hopefully, the blonde would stay out on the lawn, playing with Jack.

"Chicken and steak." Jeff picked up the big two-pronged fork and turned the meat over. He was also going to throw some corn on the cob and potatoes on the barbecue in a bit.

"Chicken _and_ steak?" Matt asked. "Just for _you_? Aren't you gonna be full after just one of those?"

Damn it... He hadn't counted on his brother picking up on something that minor. He thought he could hear the slightest hint of suspicion in his voice but hoped he was wrong.

"No, I'll be okay," he answered lamely. "It's just one chicken leg and one piece of steak, anyway."

Silence greeted him on the other end for a moment. Then, Matt spoke again.

"So, anyway... What's new? You seein' anybody, little brother?"

Jeff's blood ran cold, and at that very moment, he knew Matt knew. It wasn't merely the question itself that told him that, but the way it had been asked as well. He would bet on it.

"No," he finally replied. "I'm not. What makes you think otherwise?"

"Oh, nothing," Matt said.

Jeff said nothing as he kept tending to the food. Then, it was so awkward that he told the other man he had to go - but he really _did_ have to put the corn and potatoes on the barbecue.

A moment later, after he'd hung up, he was back at the grill with the vegetables. He glanced over his shoulder to see Ashley happily bounding up the stairs and toward him. She was smiling and gave him a quick kiss. However, her smile faded as she noticed the strange expression on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"I just got off the phone with Matt," Jeff told her. He met her blue eyes as he concluded. "Ash, I think he knows... I think he knows about us."


	14. Chapter 14

**_A/N: .Thanks go out to CMPunkluver., wrestlefan14, Cheryl, Dizzle the Lord of Superstars, AshMattXoXo, Hatter-Zombie.at.your.brains and rory21 for all the reviews for the last chapter. You guys totally ROCK! ;) To answer Chery's question as to why I don't like Matt... I just _don't_. I used to be a fan of his, a huge one, but I started disliking and losing respect for him in 2003, after the Hardyz's book came out. He comes off as an immature, unfeeling jerk. My dislike for him intensified even more after the way he handled the whole situation with Adam and Amy. Some people may think he had every right to go overboard the way he did considering what happened, but hey - how about dealing with things like an ADULT and not like a whining little bitch? And whoa... I've ranted on enough about this, so I'll shut up. Enjoy this new chapter! :)_**

There was a Supershow for that evening, so Ashley knew to be prepared. She braced herself for it and knew it was inevitable. At some point during the night, either she would run into Matt, or else he would make a point of going to see her.

The latter ended up happening. She was at catering with some of the other girls - Mickie James, Candice Michelle, Melina Perez and Jillian Hall. They were catching a quick bite to eat, chatting and laughing. Ashley was in mid-sentence when he suddenly interrupted.

She looked up as a hand tapped her on the back of her left shoulder. And she groaned inwardly the second she saw him.

"Oh... Hi, Matt."

"Hey, Ash," he returned the greeting. He glanced at the other four women at the table. "Hi, ladies."

They all said hello back, some more half-heartedly than others. All were friends of the blonde and each knew the story of her breakup with the dark-haired man. A couple of them knew more details than the others.

"I was wonderin' if I could have a word with you?"

Ashley cast him a fake smile. She couldn't help it due to their friendship having deteriorated over the last couple of months or so. He was a real piece of work... And now he wanted to 'have a word' with her? He didn't deserve that, unless the words were 'fuck you' and were uttered by her to him.

"Kind of in the middle of something here, Matt," the blonde retorted. "Gabbing and grubbing with the girls." She gestured to her four friends. Melina and Jillian giggled, but Candice and Mickie merely glared up at Hardy.

"This is important, Ash," Matt said.

"Oh well. I'm sure it can wait. If it's that important, you won't forget to mention it to me later, when I'm _not_ busy." Her tone took on a hint of sarcasm. She was getting annoyed, and all she wanted was for him to go away.

Matt stared at his former girlfriend in disbelief as she turned her back to him. She resumed her conversation with the other divas as though he wasn't even there, and his mouth fell open at her rudeness. How _dare_ she act this way toward him! She'd never done that before, but it sure made his blood boil.

"So, you're going out there tonight to give us-"

"Ash..." the older Hardy said between clenched teeth. He was beyond angry now. "... Don't make me do this here, right in front of your friends."

"Hey, why don't you just leave her alone?" Candice exclaimed. The brunette glared up at him with consternation on her pretty face.

"Shut up," Matt replied, which drew gasps of shock and anger from Ashley's other three friends.

Melina shook her head with disgust.

"Don't you have anything _better_ to do than verbally abuse women?"

The dark-haired man ignored her. At this point, he was focused solely on his ex-girlfriend.

"So.. I guess we may as well get this all out in the open," he spat. "It's true, isn't it? You've been fucking my brother." His last sentence was spoken as a statement, not a question.

The four other women again expressed surprise.

Ashley pursed her lips as she stared up at him with hatred. Yes, she'd done an excellent job at keeping her still new relationship with Jeff a secret - so much so that she hadn't even told her friends.

"You're pathetic, Matt," she muttered. In her mind at the moment were other times such as this - although all of those instances of him blurting out details of other people's private lives had been done over the internet.

"_I'm_ pathetic?" he countered. "Well, _I'm_ not the one spreading my legs for my ex-boyfriend's brother." Matt grinned maliciously. "No, that'd be _you_."

Pushed past her limit, Ashley rose from her chair so quickly, it toppled over behind her. She came to stand face-to-face with the bitter dark-haired man, her blue eyes glittering with rage.

"No is not the time nor the place," she said in a low voice. Of course, it was already too late, as her friends had heard, and she knew a few other wrestlers had gathered in catering and had to have heard some of it as well.

"Why the hell not?!" Matt shouted. "You have no secrets from these people, do you?" He glared at her, his gaze harder than ever as he continued on his rant. "No, you only have secrets from _me_! You really make me sick!"

"You gave up your right to hear about my 'secrets' the second you posted that damn blog about me!" the blonde cried, no longer caring that they had an audience. She was too angry to care about much of anything at this point. "And in case you didn't realize it, Matt, you're not my boyfriend anymore! You're not even my _friend_ anymore, so who I date is none of your fucking business!" She jabbed a finger into his chest for emphasis as she concluded. When she was done, she glanced around and caught her breath. She couldn't stand being there any longer - so she ran from the room.

"Ash - wait!" Mickie called, hurrying after her.

The brunette caught up to her in the hallway, en route back to the women's locker room.

"Ash! If you need to talk-"

The blonde woman turned slightly, grabbing hold of her hand briefly.

"I appreciate it, Mick... Just... not now." She met her friend's concerned brown eyes, giving her an apologetic look before releasing her hand and rushing away.


	15. Chapter 15

**_A/N: Wow, there were LOTS of reviews last time around! Thanks to AshMattXoXo, Keito-san, Solitary Siren, Cheryl, Hatter-Zombie.ate.your.brains, Dizzle the Lord of Superstars, .CMPunkluver., JeffHardy724 and rory21 for the last bunch of 'em. You guys really rock! ;) Hope you all enjoy this new chapter._**

Ashley ignored all the attempts at reassurance from her friends. She loved them dearly, and while she _did_ definitely appreciate their efforts, she just wanted to be left alone.

In a hurry, she gathered up all of her belongings and left the arena. She didn't have a segment or match scheduled, so as far as she knew, it was okay to do that.

Counting her lucky stars she hadn't rode to the arena with one of the girls, Ashley quickly located her rental. In an instant, she had her bag in the back and got into the driver's seat. She had to steel herself for a moment, her eyes closing as she caught her breath. Somehow managing to hold it together, she put the key in the ignition and took off.

She cursed under her breath, still disbelieving what had happened less than a half-hour earlier. How in the world could Matt possess such unabashed _nerve_?

Ashley's grip on the steering wheel suddenly became so tight, her knuckles went white. She was so angry, and she knew she had to get hold of her emotions, as she'd just realized she was speeding. Thankfully, her driving wasn't going erratic, but she tried to pace herself, telling herself it wouldn't be worth getting a ticket over anger at her asshole of an ex-boyfriend.

In minutes, she was back at the hotel. By the time she was out of the car and toting her bag toward the building, her emotions shifted. She knew she would just completely break down the moment she reached her room. And so, she rushed to get there.

Hurriedly, the slim blonde made it to her hotel room. Her fingers fumbled clumsily with the keycard as she fished it out of her purse. Once steady, she swiped it through the door and crossed the threshold in a speedy manner. She was just beginning to cry as she flipped the lights on, then crossed over to the bed as she felt around for her cell phone.

_Damn him to hell_! she thought with so much bitterness. Why had she ever even remained friends with him after the breakup? With friends like Matt Hardy, she didn't need any enemies!

Hastily, she dialed the number of the only person in the world she wanted to speak with at that moment. A single tear trickled its way down her left cheek as she listened to the phone ringing on the other end.

_Oh, please be there_! she silently wished. Please _pick up_!

The answer came on the third ring.

"Hello?"

She couldn't even speak for a beat, her emotions getting the better of her at the sound of his voice.

"Hello? Is someone there?" he repeated.

"J-Jeff..." she moaned in a surprisingly soft voice.

"Ash... Oh, no. Baby, what's wrong?"

Her bottom lip quivered, and she hated herself for crying. What was wrong with her? Matt was most definitely not worth her tears. Why did she allow him to get to her so badly? And besides, she and Jeff were not ashamed of their relationship, or of loving each other. The only reason they'd kept the relationship a secret was all because of Matt.

"Y-Your brother," she murmured. She reached up to her face with her free hand, lightly wiping away the tears. "He caused a scene not much earlier... confronted me about us." She sniffled and heard Jeff sigh.

"Oh, did he?"

The blonde could hear the annoyance in her boyfriend's voice. She spilled her guts then, not omitting a thing Matt had said to her. She wished he were right there with her at that moment, wished he could just envelope her in his arms and kiss her. He would make her feel so much better with so little effort.

"You know what I predict?" he suddenly asked, pulling her out of her small reverie. He continued without waiting for her to respond. "I predict that I'll be payin' my big brother a little visit when he gets back home on Wednesday. He had no right to confront you, especially in the way that he did!" He was silent for a beat as he knew his girlfriend was so distraught. Then, "Sweetie, I'm so sorry... I'm sorry for what you're goin' through right now. Where are you?"

"I'm at the hotel."

Jeff was surprised by that answer. He figured she would still be at the arena, as it was kind of early.

"This early?" he asked softly.

Ashley took a deep breath before answering him.

"Yeah. I didn't have anything scheduled tonight, so I just skipped out of there." She sniffled and reached over for a tissue from the box on the nearby nightstand. "I know it was probably wrong of me to do that, but I couldn't stick around - not after what Matt did," she choked out.

_Damn it_, the young man thought. He really did wish he could be with her right then to comfort her. It was exactly where he _should_ be.

"Hang in there, Ash," he said. "It won't be long before you get back here."

"I know... and I can hardly wait," she agreed. "I'd better go. I'm gonna get ready for bed and turn in early tonight."

"Okay," Jeff said, reluctance in his tone. "Sleep well. I love you, Ash."

She smiled in spite of her tears.

"I love you, too."

The conversation ended, and Ashley put her phone aside as she rose. She wiped at her face with the backs of her hands, fully intent on heading for the bathroom to wash up. However, there was suddenly light knocking on her hotel room door.

She held her breath as she walked over, hoping beyond hope that it was not Matt who was out there. A quick peek through the peephole told her it was thankfully _not_ him at all. She opened the door.

"Hey," the kind voice of Candice spoke, the brunette eyeing her softly. "Ash, I know you didn't want to be bothered, but I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

The blonde smiled a little, nodding. It really did touch her that the brunette cared so much.

"I'm okay... Thanks. You can come in if you want."

Candice crossed the threshold and sat on the edge of the bed. Ashley joined her and sighed. The two were silent for a moment until the brunette took the plunge.

"Is it true? I mean, it's none of my business, and you don't have to tell me..." Her voice trailed off.

"About me and Jeff? Yeah, it is."

"Oh. Wow," Candice said. She didn't say so aloud, but she thought the two would really make a cute couple. "How long?"

"We've been dating about a month and a half now," the blonde said.

"Well... I hope he's treating you well."

"He _is_," Ashley revealed, and this time, a bright smile crossed her face. "He's amazing. And I'm so in love with him. In fact, I just got off the phone with him before you came."

Candice was smiling as she eyed her friend. She hadn't seen the blonde this happy about a boyfriend in awhile.

"He loves me," Ashley went on. "We just became such good friends, and it blossomed into more." She told the other woman about the day things had gotten physical, and she was glowing as she related the story. "Jeff is about as 180 degrees the opposite of his brother," she concluded.

"Thank God for small favors!" Candice cracked.

"Oh, _tell_ me about it!"

The pair laughed, and Ashley was definitely feeling better. She hugged Candice moments later as the brunette left for the night.


	16. Chapter 16

**_A/N: Thanks to AshMattXoXo, .CMPunkluver., xAttitudex, Hatter-Zombie.ate.your.brains and rory21 for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are SO awesome! :D Sorry for the nearly month-long wait between chapters. Next update will be faster, I promise! Enjoy! ;)_**

Pretty much the moment Ashley arrived home the following day, she gave Jeff a call. He promised to come right over.

The blonde was overly anxious, and she paced the floor in wait. Everything from the previous day was still built up inside of her, almost like a pressure cooker. It wasn't quite as bad as it had been, but it was still there.

She raced to the door the second the bell rang. Tobey barked and wagged his tail as she opened it, and Jeff stepped inside the house.

"Jeff, thank God!" She threw herself into the young man's arms.

He held tightly to her, stroking a hand down her short blonde, black and pink hair.

"Shh... Sweet Ash," he murmured. "I missed you." He moved his head enough to kiss her brow.

When they broke the embrace, the younger Hardy knelt down to greet the dog, a smile on his face as he said hello to him.

"You have no idea how happy I am to be home," she told him. She reached down, grasping his hand and leading him to the sofa. Tobey trailed after them.

He gently caressed her face. She was so beautiful and sweet, it took his breath away.

"I think I have some idea," he said. He would have smiled had he not recalled how upset she had been on the phone the previous night.

"I wish I could just forget what happened."

"Well, believe me," Jeff said, "my 'wonderful' brother is gonna hear back from me about what he put you through."

The diva sighed and slowly closed her eyes. On one hand, she felt terrible about being the cause of such strife between two brothers - even though it really _wasn't_ her fault since she and Matt had been done awhile now - but on the other, it made her feel good, loved and protected that Jeff was a knight in shining armor type of guy. He was sweet and wanted to defend her, _them_. They'd done nothing wrong.

"I'm sorry," Ashley breathed. She bowed her head.

"Don't be silly, babe," he said, placing a gentle hand on hers. "You - _we_ - did absolutely nothing wrong. If Matt can't handle that fact, then _he's_ the one with the problem."

"I know, but-"

He silenced her with a forefinger to her lips. She raised her blue gaze, meeting his sensitive green eyes.

"Listen to me," he began, "everything's gonna be just fine. I know my brother, and he can be unreasonable and... well, an _ass_. But he'll come around in time."

This time, Ashley gave him a tiny smile, glad that she had such a wonderful boyfriend in him. She rubbed his hand with the pad of her thumb, unable to move her gaze from his.

Jeff closed the short distance between them and captured her lips, kissing her passionately. He sighed in her mouth as he felt her small hand trail up and into his hair, bringing him even closer to deepen it. Her hot tongue swirled around his in an almost dizzying fashion, driving him wild with passion.

Ashley managed to push all unpleasant thoughts from her mind as she savored these moments with Jeff. He was one of the most passionate men she'd ever known, yet a most gentle and very generous lover as well. He was the total package, all she ever could have asked for in a boyfriend.

Moments later, she raised her head from his, both of them breathing heavily as she gazed down into his emerald green eyes.

"The bedroom," she murmured huskily, "now."

He was more than happy to oblige as he stood up from the sofa, his hands pulling her up in a hurry. They kissed again ardently for a moment before breaking it again. Then, Jeff scooped the blonde up into his strong arms and carried her to her bedroom.

Ashley loved the feel of Jeff's hands all over her, her breath nearly lost as he undressed her in a slow, tantalizing fashion. She got him out of his garments in the same teasing way, finding it a huge turn-on but also incredibly romantic.

"I love you." His gaze drank in her form longingly, his voice full of adoration.

"I love you, too," the blonde managed. It was so emotional, she could have cried.

They sank onto the bed together as one, kissing more hungrily than ever as they made love.


	17. Chapter 17

**_A/N: Sorry for the huge delay in updates... I've been working at a new but temp job this month, so I haven't had much time up here. I'm running a bit short on new chapters for this story, too, but I plan on writing something new during the week. :) Thanks a million to .CMPunkluver., Hatter-Zombie ate your brains, HardyzAngel15, AshMattXoXo, rory21, Writinglove101, purplefeather21 and bobfrank for the last bunch of reviews. You guys SO totally rock! ;) Here's the new chapter, hope you all like!_**

Jeff opened his eyes, recoiling at the sunlight filtering in through the blinds on the windows. The light wasn't what had awakened him. The phone beside him was ringing. As he reached over for the receiver, he felt Ashley stir beside him, one of her small hands pressed against his bare chest.

"Hello?" he managed to sleepily croak out.

No one answered on the other end. There was a palpable pause for a moment, and then the person finally spoke.

"Jeff... Where's Ashley?"

It was Matt... And the younger Hardy found himself on the verge of a groan. He glanced down at the beauty who lay beside him, still asleep. She looked so peaceful, while when she was awake, had been so full of stress. No, there was no way he was waking her up when she was so calm in her slumber.

"She's right here," the young man replied in a whisper, "but she's asleep. Is there a message you'd like me to pass onto her? 'Cause I'm not gonna disturb her right now." He didn't add what else was on the tip of his tongue. _She had a rough night, thanks to_ you.

"Uh, no... not really," Matt said. Traces of anger came into his voice. "So, it's true... you _are_ screwin' my girl!"

Although he knew he should have expected it, Jeff was slightly shocked by his brother's outburst. He rolled his eyes and sighed before answering.

"Matt, stop it. When are you gonna wake up and realize that she's your ex - I repeat - _ex_-girlfriend?" He made a conscious effort to keep his voice low so as to not awaken Ashley.

"You probably _always_ wanted her!" Matt yelled, causing the younger man to flinch and slightly move the receiver away from his ear. "You've always been like that, Jeff, and you've _always_ wanted everything I've ever had!"

"What the hell are you talkin' about, man?"

"Like I have to spell it out for you, you ungrateful little prick!" The dark-haired man's voice kept rising in volume as well as pitch.

Jeff had had just about enough. He wasn't going to sit by and allow this to continue. Why should he have to deal with the stress, much less the migraine he would surely develop if he were to stay on the line while his brother screamed at him? To make matters worse, he felt Ashley stirring at his side, then sit up. Her blue eyes stayed on him, and she frowned when she realized what was going on.

"Grow up, Matt," he ordered. "It's too early in the mornin' for this bullshit. I would recommend you get yourself some psychiatric help so you can deal with somethin' the rest of us call 'reality.'"

Matt continued to shout at him on the other end, but the younger man was done. Without another word, he calmly replaced the receiver on its cradle, hanging up on his sibling. He knew his brother would be even more pissed, but that was just too damn bad.

He sat there angrily for a beat, stewing over what had just transpired. Then, his features softened as he moved his gaze to the beautiful sleepy blonde beside him. He reached out and placed a hand on her hair, tousling it affectionately.

"What was _that_ all about?" Ashley asked, though she knew she didn't have to.

"Nothin'," he replied calmly. "Absolutely nothin'." He brought her closer, holding her tightly against him. She clung to him and shuddered a little as she felt him kiss her hair.

They stayed that way for several serene minutes, neither of them speaking. Jeff was perfectly content to just listen to the diva's breathing and heartbeat. But he knew it was inevitable that one of them would broach the subject again.

"I can't believe you told him to get psychiatric help!" Ashley said after awhile.

"Yeah, well... He obviously has problems letting things go." He shook his head, recalling in his mind how his brother had acted when Amy had cheated on him and then later _left_ him for Adam. The way Matt was acting right now about him and Ashley, one would think it was the exact same situation. But it _wasn't_. He and Ashley had broken up a long time ago, and she'd even had another boyfriend between both Hardys... So, Jeff couldn't comprehend why there was a problem. He decided he wanted to put it out of his mind, at least for now.

"How 'bout I make us some breakfast?"

The pretty blonde smiled at him.

"Sounds good."


	18. Chapter 18

**_A/N: Thanks to MoonWolfRunner, Hatter Zombie ate your brains, XtremeHardyPrincess, .CMPunkluver., rory21 and Writinglove101 for the last set of reviews. You guys rock! :) I hope you enjoy this new chapter, and something big will be happening in the next couple of parts, so be prepared for that. Enjoy! ;)_**

_May 2008_

"So... are you excited?"

Jeff gazed into the happy blue eyes of his girlfriend. Her face wore a lovely smile, one she could hardly contain as she held onto his hands. She was practically bursting with excitement, possibly more so than what he felt.

"I'm good, Ash," he said.

"That's all you've got to say? Jeff, you're making your big return tonight!"

The rainbow-haired man smiled, ducking his head in a sheepish manner. It was time. His suspension was finally up, and he would be making his long-awaited return to RAW that night.

"Yeah... but I guess I'm just a little better at containing myself than you are," he teased.

Ashley cocked her head and gave him a most naughty, lascivious look.

"Oh, is that so? Well, we'll just have to _see_ about that." She was flush in his arms in an instant, on her tiptoes as they locked in a passionate kiss. Her hands toyed with his belt buckle, and a muffled moan escaped him as she started unbuttoning his pants.

All of a sudden, a knock came to their hotel room door. Startled, they broke apart, and Jeff's face appeared pained as he got his pants back into place.

"Shucks," Ashley muttered with an adorable pout. She edged over to the door and looked back, making sure her boyfriend was in appropriate form for visitors.

She opened the door to see her group of diva friends standing just out in the hall.

"Hey!" Mickie quipped, pleased to see her friend.

"Hi, ladies." Besides the perky brunette, Melina, Jillian and Candice were all present as well. They all glanced inside the room and said hello to Jeff, who was now seated on the edge of the hotel bed. He raised a hand to wave a greeting.

"So, _you_ must be excited about tonight," Candice said, addressing the younger Hardy.

"I look forward to it," he replied.

"How is everything, Ash?" Jillian asked, her eyes concerned.

The Punk Princess was about to respond when Jeff suddenly cut in and addressed his girlfriend.

"Hey, why don't you go on and catch up with your friends for a bit?"

"Are you sure?" she asked, gazing up into his warm green eyes. She did want to get in some good old-fashioned girl talk before they had to head over to the arena, but she didn't want to abandon Jeff.

"Of course," he said with a smile. "We have a few hours before we have to be there, so just chill with the girls and we'll meet back here later." He leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the lips.

"Okay. See you later, baby." Smiling, the little blonde grabbed her purse and cell phone and went off with her friends.

The four of them took the elevator to the lobby of the hotel, and Ashley noticed a few other superstars around. She wondered where they would go but knew it would end up with gossip and grilling.

"Why don't we just go out back and sit by the pool?" Melina suggested.

With that decided, they did as the Latina suggested. They quickly located an empty table with an umbrella over it and sat down.

"So, how's it going, Ash?" The question came from Mickie, who crossed her legs and eyed her friend.

"With Jeff?" She smiled. "Just great. I really mean that." A faraway look came over her face. "He's absolutely incredible!" she gushed.

"Aww, would you just look at her?!" Melina quipped.

"Guys, seriously," the slim blonde said, "this is the best relationship I've had in a long time." She actually thought she could have replaced the last three words with silence. Things were that great with Jeff, with of course one big exception.

"How has Matt been lately?" Candice asked, as though reading her mind.

"He's the same," she answered dryly. "He called the other morning, expecting me - but Jeff answered."

"Oh, no."

"Yeah... They got into a fight on the phone." She shook her head. "Jeff finally just hung up on him."

"Good for him," Jillian said.

"Well, Ash," Mickie put in, "I guess you're just going to have to have it out with him face-to-face, and once and for all. I mean, it doesn't seem like he's getting it - at _all_."

The punk blonde chewed on her lower lip as she thought about her friend's words of advice. Of course, she knew that Mickie was right. She nodded.

"You're right - on _both_ counts."


	19. Chapter 19

**_A/N: Thanks to Hatter Zombie ate your brains, .CMPunkluver. and Writinglove101 for reviewing the last chapter! :) Sorry for taking more than a month to update. I've been getting distracted lately by a few of my other stories, and unfortunately, this one has taken a slight backburner. I plan on getting a new chapter down on paper ASAP, though! Enjoy!_**

_Two Weeks Later_

Jeff felt the thrill soaring through his veins. This was just what he thrived on, what he'd lived for during the course of the past ten years. He took it all in, the deafening cheers from the fans in the crowd, the pulsating rhythm of his theme song, the lights... everything.

He was home.

With his sixty-day suspension over, he had returned to RAW, to the WWE, to the ring. His match was against Carlito and hadn't been all that long, but he'd been booked to win. However, the way he was feeling, he wouldn't have cared if he'd lost. All that mattered was that he was here, _now_. And he relished every second of it.

"Great match out there." He turned at the sound of the voice upon returning to the backstage area to see Carlito winking at him, giving him a thumbs up.

"Thanks, man," he replied with a grin.

Various other superstars and divas greeted him as well, not only with words but with hugs, pats on the shoulder and other gestures as well.

Jeff made his way through the small crowd of people, his gaze focusing on one very physically small but mountainously important person in his life. She was standing farther down the arena hallway, a bright and lovely smile adorning her face. He made a beeline straight for her, not caring that they hadn't completely come out and admitted their relationship just yet.

Ashley grinned up at the rainbow-haired man as he reached her. A little laugh escaped her as he swept her up in his arms and swung her a bit. She clasped her arms around his neck, a smile still playing on her lips before she ducked her head for a sweet, passionate kiss.

A few superstars around the area let out a 'whoo' or whistled at the exchange. Ashley's fellow diva friends exchanged glances and smiled knowingly. It was sweet that those two had found one another in this way.

When the couple parted but began to walk hand-in-hand to catering, one particular star eyed them with concern. The man even reached a hand out to Jeff, stopping him.

"Hey, man," Chris Irvine said, his expression serious as he looked the younger man straight in the eye. "How's your brother taking this?" His crystal-blue gaze trailed over to Ashley.

Jeff shrugged, giving the blonde diva's hand an extra little squeeze.

"Not too great. But he'll deal."

Ashley managed a small smile for her man, her gaze shifting to Chris. The blond man still looked concerned.

"Just be careful," he said. He gave Jeff a small pat on the upper back. "Great to have you back with us, by the way."

"Thanks, Chris."

After the exchange, the couple continued on to catering. Jeff was hungry after his match and wanted to grab a bite before showering. As for Ashley, she was on hand for the night but hadn't had a scheduled match or appearance.

"What was that all about?" she asked as they stepped into the room.

Jeff shrugged.

"Chris has always been a good friend since he came here from WCW," he said. "I suppose he's just lookin' out for me."

"Well, him saying, 'be careful' sorta freaked me out." She fought against shuddering. It was eerie... She liked Chris Irvine, but something about those words and the vast look of concern in his eyes kind of creeped her out. It was as though the blond man had some sort of premonition about them.

"Nah," the colorful-headed young man said. "He's just a very cautious person... and he knows how Matt can get."

"Oh." Ashley couldn't help but reflect on how the dark-haired man had behaved where his ex-girlfriend Amy and his former friend Adam were concerned. While he seemed to have forgiven the redhead for cheating on him with the Canadian, it seemed to go only to an extent. After all, he'd done a few 'skits' about her, displaying to the cyber world on his website exactly how he felt about the woman. He had videotaped himself shooting a life-sized cardboard cutout of her and running it over with his car as well. He'd even taught his dog - who'd once been Amy's - to nip at the feet of the cutout. It was all pretty sick, as far as she was concerned.

As for Adam... Well, Matt had never forgiven him for the affair, or for having a relationship with the woman afterward. One could definitely say that Hardy had issues with getting over things, and with forgiving and forgetting. It was very unhealthy, not to mention a bit scary.

"Babe? You want anything?"

Ashley suddenly realized Jeff had a second plate in hand and had set the first one down on a nearby table.

She nodded, shaking off the creepy feeling, and told him what she wanted.


End file.
